Toompea
Encyclopedia
Toompea is a limestone
hill
in the central part of the city of Tallinn
, the capital of Estonia
. The hill is an oblong tableland, which measures about 400 by 250 metres, has an area of 7 hectares (17.3 acre) and is about 20–30 metres higher than the surrounding areas. In folklore the hill is known as the tumulus
mound over the grave of Kalev
, erected in his memory by his grieving wife.
The history of Toompea is closely linked to the history of rulers and power in Estonia. Today Toompea is the center of the Government of Estonia and the Riigikogu
(parliament), both of which are often simply referred to as Toompea. The location of the Riigikogu is the Toompea Castle, situated in the southwestern corner of the hill and topped by the Tall Hermann
tower. The flag on the top of the tower is one of the best-known symbols in Estonia of the government in force.
Toompea is part of the Tallinn Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site
.
Geologically Toompea is associated with the North Estonian Klint (itself a subsection of the Baltic Klint
). A separate relic klint island, Toompea lies about 1.5 km northwest of the North Estonian Limestone Plateau. The plateau and Toompea are connected with a gently sloped sandstone ridge. From the east, north and west Toompea is bordered for 1.5 km by a cliff with a height of up to 25 m. The southern slope of the hill descends more gently. The upper layer of the hill consists of Ordovician
limestone (thickness about 5 m), which is also the main rock exposed at the cliff. However, most of the cliff face has been hidden behind a protective wall and only a few outcrops are left.
Toompea first emerged as an island from the Baltic Ice Lake
around 10,000 years ago. Due to steady post-glacial rebound
it became connected with the mainland during the early Littorina Sea
stage. At 5,000 BCE the sea still reached the foot of the cliffs of Toompea. The modern coastline is at a distance of more than 1 km from Toompea and the foot of the hill lies at 17–20 m above sea level. The hill reaches about 48 metres (157.5 ft) in elevation.
mound over the grave of Kalev
, erected in his memory by his grieving wife Linda
, as described in the national epic Kalevipoeg
:
n county of Revala. The late Iron Age fortified settlement
did not probably have permanent inhabitants, but was rather seasonally used for protecting the harbour and its adjacent marketplace. The exact location of the stronghold is not known, but it is presumed that it occupied only a small portion of Toompea, either its then-highest point a bit southeast of today's cathedral or the northern end of the hill. Early archaeological evidence form the hill dates mainly to the second half of 12th century and first half of 13th century. Smaller amounts of older finds support the view that the stronghold might have been established already during the Viking Age
.
of the Livonian Crusade
by the name Lindanise. As part of the crusade, in the summer of 1219 the King of Denmark Valdemar II launched an attack against Tallinn. His crusaders took over the deserted stronghold and at the same summer started building a new castle in its place, later referred to as the Castrum Danorum. After the Battle of Lyndanisse
which was fought near the castle and resulted Danish victory over the Estonians, a cathedral was also built on the hill, though it was probably not located in the same place as today's cathedral.
In the summer of 1227 the castle at Toompea was conquered by the order of the Brothers of the Sword
, who immediately after conquest started to fortify the hill. The plateau was divided into three parts: the Small Castle, the Great Castle and the outer ward (southernmost part of the plateau in front of the two castles). The first stone Castle of the Order (the Small Castle) was built in the southwestern corner of the plateau in 1227-1229. The original castle had roughly the same shape as the later expansions of the castle, but was slightly smaller. The castle was returned to Denmark after the Treaty of Stensby in 1238 and remained its property (together with the rest of Northern Estonia – see Danish Estonia
) for the next 138 years. In 1240 building of the cathedral was completed in the place it stands today. In the second half of 13th century Toompea (the Great Castle) was surrounded with a wall by the hill's perimeter, built mainly by vassal
s who owned the plots there.
Beginning from the same period Toompea started to develop into the centre of provincial authority, clergy and nobility in Northern Estonia. Most of the vassals chose Toompea for their residence – living in their estates in the conquered countryside was deemed too dangerous; by the end of 13th century the Great Castle was densely populated. The distinction between Toompea and the Lower Town (Tallinn) also developed at the time as Tallinn gained its own administration – at least in 1248, when the King of Denmark Eric IV granted the town Lübeck city rights, but possibly even earlier. In 1265 the Lower Town was exempted from the rule of the castellan
and in 1288 the commanders of the castle also lost judicial power over the citizens of the Lower Town.
Construction and expansion works on both castles continued in the subsequent centuries. In the first half of 14th century the southern wall of the Great Castle was renovated and its moat
was joined with the eastern moat of the Small Castle. In this way the outer ward of the castles was built, after its southern and southeastern sides were surrounded with a wall. The castle as a whole had two exits at the time: the more important one was outer ward's southern gate, through which the road led to Tõnismägi
, the second was the gate at its eastern, which connected Toompea with Lower Town via the Long and Short Legs.
In the aftermath of the St. George's Night Uprising
, in 1346 Denmark sold its possessions in Northern Estonia and followed 215 years under the rule of the Livonian Order
. Tallinn (the Lower Town), which was still subjected to Lübeck city rights and only nominally depended on the feudal system, developed into a flourishing Hanseatic city, while Toompea remained politically and socially antithetical to the Lower Town. The boundaries of the territory of Toompea and Tallinn were fixed with an agreement in 1348, when 220 hectares (543.6 acre) from the city's patrimony was given to Toompea. That area, located southwest of the hill and where the suburbs (Vorstadt
) of Toompea (Tõnismäe
, Kassisaba
and Kelmiküla
) were built during subsequent periods, was called "Dome territory" until 20th century.
Soon after returning to Toompea, the Order started expanding the castle – the whole Castle of the Order was extended and developed into the strongest centre of its northerly realms, a symbol of their military and political power. New higher outside walls were built, moats were widened and deepened. The first part of the Pikk Hermann
("Tall Hermann") tower, which tops the Toompea castle, was completed by 1371. Pikk Hermann was the first tower in Tallinn adjusted for defence in the era of firearms. Later in the 16th century the tower was rebuilt taller, from the original height of 35 m. The wall of the Great Castle was also fortified with new towers: altogether 14 defence towers (including a gate tower named Clock Tower – the only exit) had been built along its wall by the end of 14th century.
The Swedish Empire conquered Northern Estonia during the Livonian War
, in 1561, and held it until the Great Northern War
, when Tallinn was conquered by Russia in 1710. When Tallinn capitulated to Eric XIV of Sweden
in 1561, the king decided not to change the status quo in the relations between Toompea and Lower Town. Toompea, as a separate town (Dom zu Reval) under its own administration was able to retain a variety of special rights and privileges, the last of which remained in the books until 1889. Toompea was joined with Tallinn (Lower Town) as late as in 1878, when during the period of Russification
the previous laws governing the two towns were replaced with Russian administrative law. The two parts of the town were also united for a brief period in 1785-1796. Toompea and the Lower Town had been united into a single police district in 1805. Particular private law
was in force for Toompea until 1944.
In 1684 Toompea suffered the most devastating fire of its history. Toompea had been affected by earlier fires in 1288, 1433, 1553 and 1581, but the fire of 1684 was much larger in scale, destroying most of the buildings in the Great Castle, including the cathedral. The Small Castle escaped of the fire intact. The fires are one cause why Toompea looks architecturally different and newer from the Lower Town.
In the end of 17th century several plans were made to strengthen the fortifications of Toompea and Tallinn with earthworks
and modern bastion
s. Although a design by Erik Dahlbergh was approved in 1686, construction was slow due to financial difficulties and by the start of the Great Northern War only two bastions had been completed around Toompea as intended - the Swedish Bastion and the Ingermanland Bastion, both protecting Toompea from the south.
Following the Great Northern War and the conquest of Estonia by the Russian Empire
, the first half of the 18th century was a period of general neglect for Toompea and also for the castle, which fell into disuse for several decades. The situation changed in the second half of 18th century: in 1767-1773 the east wing of the castle was completely rebuilt into an administrative building of the Governorate of Estonia
by the orders of Catherine II. For constructing the building the southeastern tower of the castle (Stür den Kerl) was demolished as were the moats filled in; together with it the outer ward of the castles was designed into a square (the Castle Square). The building resembled an aristocratic palace, which prompted the castle acquiring an alternate name: Toompea Palace. The Stenbock House, one of the most remarkable buildings on the northern ledge of the Toompea, was also built in the same period - the intended court house was probably completed by 1792.
Tallinn was removed from the list of fortified towns of the Russian Empire in 1857. This allowed three new roads to be built from the southern end of Toompea over the previous defence structures: the Falgi Road, built in 1856-1857, led to the west to Paldiski Highway, the Toompea Street (1860–1861) led south to Tõnismägi
and the Komandandi Street led to the east, close to Harju Gate, where the Independence War Victory Column
stands today.
The general look of Toompea changed greatly when the architecturally completely different Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
was built in 1894-1900. The cathedral, situated on the Castle Square in front of the Toompea Palace, was erected during the period of Russification as a symbol of the czarist rule and Russian dominance. Due to its very prominent location and an immediately recognizable Russian style
the cathedral garnered opposition already during the time it was built and in the end of 1920s and 1930s, in the independent Republic of Estonia, there were even proposals to demolish it.
In 1903, when the Patkuli stairs were built near the northern end of the hill, Toompea got a new access from the direction of the main railway station of Tallinn.
The much-rebuilt Toompea Castle – consisting of the czarist era governor's palace, walls and towers of the medieval fortress, the expressionist parliament building dating from 1922, plus a few other buildings – now houses the Estonian Parliament
. The facade of the classicist governor's palace dominates Lossi plats ("Castle square"), where the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
overtops it. The cathedral, nowadays the main church of the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate
, has become for tourists somewhat of a symbol of Tallinn due to its exotic look, while the opinion of Estonians about it is rather ambiguous. The Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik
) from which the name Toompea was originally derived, is now the seat of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
and has perhaps best retained a medieval look among the buildings of Toompea. Most of the buildings in Toompea date from the 18th and 19th centuries. While the Small Castle has generally preserved its shape, nothing but a few fragments remain of the Great Castle's walls and towers.
Other notable sites in Toompea include the building of the Government of Estonia (also known as "The Stenbock House") and the building of the Estonian Knighthood, which from the early 1990s until 2005 housed the Estonian Art Museum
and since 2009 is temporarily used by the Estonian Academy of Arts
. The Estonian Academy of Sciences
is also seated in Toompea, in the Ungern-Sternberg palace (seat of the local German cultural self-government in the interwar period).
Toompea is also the location of several foreign embassies to Estonia, namely those of Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the office of the embassy of Canada.
There are several viewing platforms in Toompea, which offer good views of the surrounding city and are popular among tourists visiting Tallinn.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
in the central part of the city of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. The hill is an oblong tableland, which measures about 400 by 250 metres, has an area of 7 hectares (17.3 acre) and is about 20–30 metres higher than the surrounding areas. In folklore the hill is known as the tumulus
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
mound over the grave of Kalev
Kalev (mythology)
In Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic poem "Kalevipoeg", King Kalev was the father of King Kalevipoeg and the husband of Linda.Toompea, a hill in the centre of Tallinn, was said to be the tumulus over his grave, erected by Linda in memory of him. It is now Estonia's centre of government.In an...
, erected in his memory by his grieving wife.
The history of Toompea is closely linked to the history of rulers and power in Estonia. Today Toompea is the center of the Government of Estonia and the Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
(parliament), both of which are often simply referred to as Toompea. The location of the Riigikogu is the Toompea Castle, situated in the southwestern corner of the hill and topped by the Tall Hermann
Pikk Hermann
Pikk Hermann is a tower of the Toompea Castle, on Toompea hill in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The first part was built 1360-70. It was rebuilt in the 16th century...
tower. The flag on the top of the tower is one of the best-known symbols in Estonia of the government in force.
Toompea is part of the Tallinn Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Geology and topography
Baltic Klint
The Baltic Klint is an erosional limestone escarpment on several islands of the Baltic Sea, in Estonia and in Leningrad Oblast of Russia...
). A separate relic klint island, Toompea lies about 1.5 km northwest of the North Estonian Limestone Plateau. The plateau and Toompea are connected with a gently sloped sandstone ridge. From the east, north and west Toompea is bordered for 1.5 km by a cliff with a height of up to 25 m. The southern slope of the hill descends more gently. The upper layer of the hill consists of Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
limestone (thickness about 5 m), which is also the main rock exposed at the cliff. However, most of the cliff face has been hidden behind a protective wall and only a few outcrops are left.
Toompea first emerged as an island from the Baltic Ice Lake
Baltic ice lake
The Baltic ice lake is a name given by geologists to a freshwater lake that gradually formed in the Baltic Sea basin as glaciation retreated from that region at the end of the Pleistocene. The lake, dated to 12,600-10,300 BP, is roughly contemporaneous with the three Pleistocene Blytt-Sernander...
around 10,000 years ago. Due to steady post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
it became connected with the mainland during the early Littorina Sea
Littorina Sea
Littorina Sea is a geological brackish-water stage of the Baltic Sea, which existed around 7500–4000 BP and followed the Mastogloia Sea, transitional stage of the Ancylus Lake...
stage. At 5,000 BCE the sea still reached the foot of the cliffs of Toompea. The modern coastline is at a distance of more than 1 km from Toompea and the foot of the hill lies at 17–20 m above sea level. The hill reaches about 48 metres (157.5 ft) in elevation.
Mythology
In Estonian mythology Toompea is known as the tumulusTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
mound over the grave of Kalev
Kalev (mythology)
In Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic poem "Kalevipoeg", King Kalev was the father of King Kalevipoeg and the husband of Linda.Toompea, a hill in the centre of Tallinn, was said to be the tumulus over his grave, erected by Linda in memory of him. It is now Estonia's centre of government.In an...
, erected in his memory by his grieving wife Linda
Linda (Estonian mythology)
In the Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic "Kalevipoeg", Linda was the mother of Kalevipoeg and the wife of Kalev.She has given the name to several Estonian locations, including the Lindakivi in Lake Ülemiste...
, as described in the national epic Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
:
Linda mourned for Kalev for one month after another till three months had passed, and the fourth was far advanced. She heaped a cairn of stones over his tomb, which formed the hill on which the Cathedral of Revel now stands. English translation by W.F. KirbyWilliam Forsell KirbyWilliam Forsell Kirby was an English entomologist and folklorist.He was born in Leicester. He was the eldest son of Samuel Kirby, who was a banker. He was educated privately, and became interested in butterflies and moths at an early age. The family moved to Brighton, where he became acquainted...
, 1895
Early history
The first stronghold is believed to have been built on the hill in either the 10th or 11th century by residents of the ancient EstoniaAncient Estonia
Ancient Estonia refers to a period covering History of Estonia from the middle of the 8th millennium BC until the conquest and subjugation of the Estonian people in the first quarter of the 13th century during the Northern Crusades.-The Mesolithic Period:...
n county of Revala. The late Iron Age fortified settlement
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
did not probably have permanent inhabitants, but was rather seasonally used for protecting the harbour and its adjacent marketplace. The exact location of the stronghold is not known, but it is presumed that it occupied only a small portion of Toompea, either its then-highest point a bit southeast of today's cathedral or the northern end of the hill. Early archaeological evidence form the hill dates mainly to the second half of 12th century and first half of 13th century. Smaller amounts of older finds support the view that the stronghold might have been established already during the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
.
Middle Ages
The hill fort is mentioned in the Henry of Livonia's ChronicleChronicle of Henry of Livonia
The Livonian Chronicle of Henry is a document describing historic events in Livonia and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. Apart from the few references in the Primary Chronicle compiled in Kievan Rus' in the twelfth century, it is the oldest known written document about the history of these...
of the Livonian Crusade
Livonian Crusade
The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia and Estonia, during the Northern Crusades...
by the name Lindanise. As part of the crusade, in the summer of 1219 the King of Denmark Valdemar II launched an attack against Tallinn. His crusaders took over the deserted stronghold and at the same summer started building a new castle in its place, later referred to as the Castrum Danorum. After the Battle of Lyndanisse
Battle of Lyndanisse
The Battle of Lyndanisse was a battle which helped King Valdemar II of Denmark establish the territory of Danish Estonia during the Northern Crusades. Valdemar II defeated the Estonians at Lyndanisse , during the Northern Crusades, by orders from the Pope...
which was fought near the castle and resulted Danish victory over the Estonians, a cathedral was also built on the hill, though it was probably not located in the same place as today's cathedral.
In the summer of 1227 the castle at Toompea was conquered by the order of the Brothers of the Sword
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword were a military order founded by Bishop Albert of Riga in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks"...
, who immediately after conquest started to fortify the hill. The plateau was divided into three parts: the Small Castle, the Great Castle and the outer ward (southernmost part of the plateau in front of the two castles). The first stone Castle of the Order (the Small Castle) was built in the southwestern corner of the plateau in 1227-1229. The original castle had roughly the same shape as the later expansions of the castle, but was slightly smaller. The castle was returned to Denmark after the Treaty of Stensby in 1238 and remained its property (together with the rest of Northern Estonia – see Danish Estonia
Danish Estonia
Danish Estonia refers to the territories of present-day Estonia that were ruled by Denmark firstly during the 13th–14th centuries and again in the 16th–17th centuries....
) for the next 138 years. In 1240 building of the cathedral was completed in the place it stands today. In the second half of 13th century Toompea (the Great Castle) was surrounded with a wall by the hill's perimeter, built mainly by vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s who owned the plots there.
Beginning from the same period Toompea started to develop into the centre of provincial authority, clergy and nobility in Northern Estonia. Most of the vassals chose Toompea for their residence – living in their estates in the conquered countryside was deemed too dangerous; by the end of 13th century the Great Castle was densely populated. The distinction between Toompea and the Lower Town (Tallinn) also developed at the time as Tallinn gained its own administration – at least in 1248, when the King of Denmark Eric IV granted the town Lübeck city rights, but possibly even earlier. In 1265 the Lower Town was exempted from the rule of the castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
and in 1288 the commanders of the castle also lost judicial power over the citizens of the Lower Town.
Construction and expansion works on both castles continued in the subsequent centuries. In the first half of 14th century the southern wall of the Great Castle was renovated and its moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
was joined with the eastern moat of the Small Castle. In this way the outer ward of the castles was built, after its southern and southeastern sides were surrounded with a wall. The castle as a whole had two exits at the time: the more important one was outer ward's southern gate, through which the road led to Tõnismägi
Tõnismägi
Tõnismägi is a 36 meter high hillock adjacent to Toompea hill in Tallinn, Estonia. From 1945 to 1996 the central portion of the hillock was called Liberators' Square...
, the second was the gate at its eastern, which connected Toompea with Lower Town via the Long and Short Legs.
In the aftermath of the St. George's Night Uprising
St. George's Night Uprising
St. George’s Night Uprising in 1343–1346 was an unsuccessful attempt by the indigenous Estonian population in the Duchy of Estonia, the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, and the insular territories of the State of the Teutonic Order to annihilate the Danish and German rulers and landlords, who had conquered...
, in 1346 Denmark sold its possessions in Northern Estonia and followed 215 years under the rule of the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
. Tallinn (the Lower Town), which was still subjected to Lübeck city rights and only nominally depended on the feudal system, developed into a flourishing Hanseatic city, while Toompea remained politically and socially antithetical to the Lower Town. The boundaries of the territory of Toompea and Tallinn were fixed with an agreement in 1348, when 220 hectares (543.6 acre) from the city's patrimony was given to Toompea. That area, located southwest of the hill and where the suburbs (Vorstadt
Vorstadt
Vorstadt is a German term that describes an area of a city, outside the Altstadt or the city centre, but tightly connected to it and densely populated, thus distinguished from Vororte....
) of Toompea (Tõnismäe
Tõnismägi
Tõnismägi is a 36 meter high hillock adjacent to Toompea hill in Tallinn, Estonia. From 1945 to 1996 the central portion of the hillock was called Liberators' Square...
, Kassisaba
Kassisaba
Kassisaba is a subdistrict in the district of Kesklinn , Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 3,343 .-References:...
and Kelmiküla
Kelmiküla
Kelmiküla is a subdistrict in the district of Põhja-Tallinn , Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It has a population of 911 .-References:...
) were built during subsequent periods, was called "Dome territory" until 20th century.
Soon after returning to Toompea, the Order started expanding the castle – the whole Castle of the Order was extended and developed into the strongest centre of its northerly realms, a symbol of their military and political power. New higher outside walls were built, moats were widened and deepened. The first part of the Pikk Hermann
Pikk Hermann
Pikk Hermann is a tower of the Toompea Castle, on Toompea hill in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The first part was built 1360-70. It was rebuilt in the 16th century...
("Tall Hermann") tower, which tops the Toompea castle, was completed by 1371. Pikk Hermann was the first tower in Tallinn adjusted for defence in the era of firearms. Later in the 16th century the tower was rebuilt taller, from the original height of 35 m. The wall of the Great Castle was also fortified with new towers: altogether 14 defence towers (including a gate tower named Clock Tower – the only exit) had been built along its wall by the end of 14th century.
Swedish and Russian rule
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
, in 1561, and held it until the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, when Tallinn was conquered by Russia in 1710. When Tallinn capitulated to Eric XIV of Sweden
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
in 1561, the king decided not to change the status quo in the relations between Toompea and Lower Town. Toompea, as a separate town (Dom zu Reval) under its own administration was able to retain a variety of special rights and privileges, the last of which remained in the books until 1889. Toompea was joined with Tallinn (Lower Town) as late as in 1878, when during the period of Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
the previous laws governing the two towns were replaced with Russian administrative law. The two parts of the town were also united for a brief period in 1785-1796. Toompea and the Lower Town had been united into a single police district in 1805. Particular private law
Private law
Private law is that part of a civil law legal system which is part of the jus commune that involves relationships between individuals, such as the law of contracts or torts, as it is called in the common law, and the law of obligations as it is called in civilian legal systems...
was in force for Toompea until 1944.
In 1684 Toompea suffered the most devastating fire of its history. Toompea had been affected by earlier fires in 1288, 1433, 1553 and 1581, but the fire of 1684 was much larger in scale, destroying most of the buildings in the Great Castle, including the cathedral. The Small Castle escaped of the fire intact. The fires are one cause why Toompea looks architecturally different and newer from the Lower Town.
In the end of 17th century several plans were made to strengthen the fortifications of Toompea and Tallinn with earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
and modern bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s. Although a design by Erik Dahlbergh was approved in 1686, construction was slow due to financial difficulties and by the start of the Great Northern War only two bastions had been completed around Toompea as intended - the Swedish Bastion and the Ingermanland Bastion, both protecting Toompea from the south.
Following the Great Northern War and the conquest of Estonia by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, the first half of the 18th century was a period of general neglect for Toompea and also for the castle, which fell into disuse for several decades. The situation changed in the second half of 18th century: in 1767-1773 the east wing of the castle was completely rebuilt into an administrative building of the Governorate of Estonia
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
by the orders of Catherine II. For constructing the building the southeastern tower of the castle (Stür den Kerl) was demolished as were the moats filled in; together with it the outer ward of the castles was designed into a square (the Castle Square). The building resembled an aristocratic palace, which prompted the castle acquiring an alternate name: Toompea Palace. The Stenbock House, one of the most remarkable buildings on the northern ledge of the Toompea, was also built in the same period - the intended court house was probably completed by 1792.
Tõnismägi
Tõnismägi is a 36 meter high hillock adjacent to Toompea hill in Tallinn, Estonia. From 1945 to 1996 the central portion of the hillock was called Liberators' Square...
and the Komandandi Street led to the east, close to Harju Gate, where the Independence War Victory Column
Independence War Victory Column
The War of Independence Victory Column is located in Freedom Square, Tallinn, Estonia. It was opened on 23 June 2009 as a memorial for those who fell during the Estonian War of Independence, through which the people of Estonia will be able to commemorate all those who had fought for freedom and...
stands today.
The general look of Toompea changed greatly when the architecturally completely different Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an orthodox cathedral in the Tallinn Old Town, Estonia. It was built to a design by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian Revival style between 1894 and 1900, during the period when the country was part of the Russian Empire. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is...
was built in 1894-1900. The cathedral, situated on the Castle Square in front of the Toompea Palace, was erected during the period of Russification as a symbol of the czarist rule and Russian dominance. Due to its very prominent location and an immediately recognizable Russian style
Russian architecture
Russian architecture follows a tradition whose roots were established in the Eastern Slavic state of Kievan Rus'. After the fall of Kiev, Russian architectural history continued in the principalities of Vladimir-Suzdal, Novgorod, the succeeding states of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire,...
the cathedral garnered opposition already during the time it was built and in the end of 1920s and 1930s, in the independent Republic of Estonia, there were even proposals to demolish it.
In 1903, when the Patkuli stairs were built near the northern end of the hill, Toompea got a new access from the direction of the main railway station of Tallinn.
Toompea today
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
. The facade of the classicist governor's palace dominates Lossi plats ("Castle square"), where the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an orthodox cathedral in the Tallinn Old Town, Estonia. It was built to a design by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian Revival style between 1894 and 1900, during the period when the country was part of the Russian Empire. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is...
overtops it. The cathedral, nowadays the main church of the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate
Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate
The Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate is a semi-autonomous diocese of the Patriarchate of Moscow whose primate is appointed by the Holy Synod of the latter. Its official name in English is the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate...
, has become for tourists somewhat of a symbol of Tallinn due to its exotic look, while the opinion of Estonians about it is rather ambiguous. The Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik
St Mary's cathedral of Tallinn
St Mary's Cathedral, Tallinn is a church located on Toompea Hill in Tallinn, Estonia. Originally established by Danes on 13th century, it is the oldest church in Tallinn and mainland Estonia...
) from which the name Toompea was originally derived, is now the seat of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Lutheran church in Estonia. EELC is member of the Lutheran World Federation...
and has perhaps best retained a medieval look among the buildings of Toompea. Most of the buildings in Toompea date from the 18th and 19th centuries. While the Small Castle has generally preserved its shape, nothing but a few fragments remain of the Great Castle's walls and towers.
Other notable sites in Toompea include the building of the Government of Estonia (also known as "The Stenbock House") and the building of the Estonian Knighthood, which from the early 1990s until 2005 housed the Estonian Art Museum
Estonian Art Museum
The Art Museum of Estonia was established in 1919. Originally based in Kadriorg Palace, the museum has expanded across several sites and today exhibits both international and local art works.Art Museum of Estonia consists of the following branches:...
and since 2009 is temporarily used by the Estonian Academy of Arts
Estonian Academy of Arts
The Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university in Estonia providing higher education in art, design, architecture, media, art history and conservation-restoration...
. The Estonian Academy of Sciences
Estonian Academy of Sciences
Founded in 1938, the Estonian Academy of Sciences is Estonia's national academy of science. As with other national academies, it is an independent group of well-known scientists whose stated aim is to promote research and development, encourage international scientific cooperation, and...
is also seated in Toompea, in the Ungern-Sternberg palace (seat of the local German cultural self-government in the interwar period).
Toompea is also the location of several foreign embassies to Estonia, namely those of Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the office of the embassy of Canada.
There are several viewing platforms in Toompea, which offer good views of the surrounding city and are popular among tourists visiting Tallinn.